Seventh Grade

FREE PROGRAMS

Wise Up About Watersheds II

Time: 50 minutes The students work through the EnviroScape watershed model to see first-hand how water pollution occurs and brainstorm ways that it can be prevented. The students will use topography and contour mapping skills as they map their school’s watershed.

Time: 50 minutes In this program from PWET, students will be epidemiologists as they learn about waterborne illnesses and disease transmission. Students will discover how unicellular organisms can cause disease and their effect on major organs and body systems.

Topics Covered: Organisms, Cells, Pathogens, Epidemiology, and Water

Science/Social Science Standards: 7.S.1, 7.L.3

Live Animals: No

Cost: Free

From H to OH!

Time: 50 minutes In this activity from Healthy Water Healthy People, students simulate the creation of acids and bases; manipulate acidic and basic solutions and discuss how acid rain is formed. Students explore runoff pollution and how pH of water can affect weathering of the Earth’s surface and stream health.

Time: 50 minutes Through playing a fun interactive game, we use water ecosystems to reveal how organisms interact with and respond to the biotic and abiotic factors of their environment. What issues can lead to shifts in its diversity and abundance of populations? Let’s examine ways that we can protect our water ecology.

Time: 50 minutes Participants will evaluate the effects of human population on air, water, and land by using and discussing case studies. Students will discuss how abiotic components of the environment affect local organisms. The use of a ground water model will show how the pollution of one groundwater zone can eventually affect an entire watershed.

Topics Covered: Water Carrying Capacity, Limiting Factors such as Water

Science/Social Science Standards: 7.S.1, 7.EC.5

Live Animals: No

Cost: Free

Elements, Chemicals, Compounds and Mixtures, Oh My!

Time: 50 minutes

Students work together to analyze and interpret data to describe and classify matter as elements, compounds, or mixtures. They use the periodic table to identify the basic organization of elements and groups of elements.

Time: 50 minutes The students will be simulating the creation of a cleaning product to learn about the chemistry that goes into its design. This activity will help students to understand that a soap product is the result of combining particular ingredients in a certain amounts to create a product that works in a specific way. Great activity to inspire careers in STEM fields.

Topics Covered: Chemistry of cleaning products, STEM field careers

Science/Social Science Standards: 7.S.1, 7.S.1A.3

Live Animals: No

Cost: Free

Fee Programs

All Around the World

Time: 50 minutes Through using the live animals and artifacts from the WEC center, students acquire an understanding of how each animal interacts with and responds to the biotic and abiotic elements in their environment.